Birraire's Newsletter

Packaging #09 - Cork cap

Here is a presentation element much more associated with wine than beer; although it has been there for a long time in brewing traditions like the Belgian, and to this day it is very widespread with the irruption of the craft scene in different countries. The cork cap is usually found in 75 cl bottles -37.5 cl, alternatively- something marvelous in neophytes' eyes who, delighted, indeed say that with that presentation it looks more like a wine than a beer.

The most usual option is, to put it simple, the sparkling wine cap. The cork is attached to the bottle by means of a wire, and it comes with a small cap that pleases collectors. Once the wire is separated from the bottle, it is as simple as pulling the cap by getting hold of its 'head' to proceed to enjoyment. Although in the case of very carbonated beers, once the wire is removed, the cap comes out almost on its own -or on its own, in the worst cases-.

The other alternative is the one we associate more with regular wine, be it red, rosé or white. Unlike it, it usually comes with a standard cap to reinforce the closure, though. Since the cap does not protrude, as in the previous case, a corkscrew is required to get the beer out. A fact that, in spite of its obviousness, has momentarily spoiled more than one, and a thousand, beer tastings in which nobody had foreseen the need for such gadget. But big problems require great solutions: there is always a bar nearby to help out.

The cap itself, which can sometimes be made of rubber and not cork, is a good element to put inside that transparent vase that you were given when you moved to your current house. Yes, the one that stands unceremoniously on that shelf of your dining room. Believe me, soon it will be a more beautiful and personal decorative object, illustrative of the fact that you drink more than what you thought.

Salut i birra!

To understand the motivation behind this series of posts, it is advisable to read the Introduction.

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